Category: South America

Looking for volunteering opportunities in Bolivia? Parque Machia, 3 hours from Cochabamba, is a small animal sanctuary that needs volunteers on a regular basis.

The park, which is part of the Inti Wara Yassi organisation, specialises in small cats, spider monkeys, tejons and birds. Travellers can turn up any time without prior notice and start the next day – the only catch is that you must stay a minimum of two weeks.

It costs 1,400 bs (£124) and includes basic accommodation with shared bathrooms. Food is not included but the cafe serves super cheap food and there are plenty of places in town.

What to expect

Early starts and long hours! Some days you’ll start at 6.30am and work until 6pm. Typical duties include feeding the animals, cleaning out cages, cutting up fruit and lugging sand bags up to the Mirador.

Unfortunately you can’t choose which animal you work with. You’ll be placed wherever is needed. However, those who sign up for a month are more likely to work with a cat or monkeys.

What to wear

There’s a second hand clothes shop on site selling cheap t-shirts and trousers. Anything you wear will be ruined after a couple of days so wear your oldest clothes and hire wellies (10bs)! Socks, t-shirts, toothpaste, toilet roll etc can be bought in Villa Tunari, just over the bridge.

The Lost City trek is one of Colombia’s best-kept secrets – a 5 day hike that winds its way through indiginous villages, rumbling waterfalls and tropical jungle.

When you’re not waist-deep in water, you’re clambering up steep cliff faces, sludging through orange mud and eating fresh fruit on the mountainside. Finally you’ll reach Ciudad Perdida – an abandoned city carved into the mountainside.

While it may not be as gob-smackingly beautiful as Machu Picchu, it’s still an astonishing site. You’ll spend the afternoon wandering around moss-covered plazas, hidden ruins and a net of tiled roads. It’s eerily quiet and strangely peaceful – quite the opposite of the Inca Trail.

Expect tonnes of mosquitoes, plenty of rain and slippery trails. You’ll be sleeping in hammocks so strong insect repellent and warm clothes are a must. TOP TIP: Pack plenty of socks – there’s nothing worse than having damp feet!

Booking your trek

You can book The Lost City trek in either Santa Marta or Taganga. Tour operators will offer hostel pickup and return transportation to Teyuna. Prices cost from 500,000 cops (£170) – and you can choose whether you do 4, 5 or 6 days .

Plannng to visit the cooperative mines in Potosi? Prepare to be shocked as you experience the terrible working conditions that thousands of men endure every day.

Many work in total darkness for 12 hours straight – usually without food and water – extracting minerals such as silver ore and zinc. They use only basic materials and are exposed to toxic chemicals that can lead to silicosis pneumonia, an almost certain death.

A worker prepares to squeeze into a tiny hole in the cooperative mines in Potosi

Booking your tour

Tours cost from 80 Bs (£7) and include hostel pickup, transport to the miners’ market where you can buy cocoa leaves, drinks and cigarettes for the workers, a tour of the refinery and a 2-hour crawl through the mines themselves.

Good companies (such as Koala Tours) will provide a helmet, head lamp, protective clothing and English-speaking guides (if needed). Make sure they explain all the risks and give you plenty of time to ask questions. If possible book with an ex-miner – this way you’ll be in the best possible hands if something goes wrong.

Be warned! You are in a fully working mine where accidents happen on a daily basis. Don’t do this tour if you have any medical problems or are prone to claustrophobia. You’ll be 60m underground with no easy way out!

Already feeling the adrenaline pumping? Death Road in La Paz is another awesome adventure. Get more travel tips and advice by following us on Twitter!

Home to the Andean flamingo, this isolated corner of the world surprises even the most experienced of travellers. Head up the mirador to check out the rainbow-coloured landscape in all its glory – you’ll be blown away.

Pictures of Laguna Colorada by Julia Pernitz - Fabulous Travel Guide

Love Laguna Colorada? Check out volcano-ringed Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and don’t forget to see what else there is to do in Bolivia!

Boat trips leave from Pisco at 7am and take about 1.5 hours to reach the islands. On the way you’ll stop to see the three-pronged Candelabra, a giant figure etched into the sandy hills (pictured below).

Travelling through Peru? The Colca Canyon is a fascinating combination of snow-capped mountains, dusty roads and indiginous villages – and it’s almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.

One minute you’ll be admiring fields full of alpacas and llamas, the next you’ll be watching condors swoop through the sky. Check out our favourite pics of the Colca Canyon and book your trip to Peru now!

Buses leave from Arequipa and wind their way north through the mountains until they reach Mirador de los Andes, the valley’s highest point at 4,910m (pictured below).

Surrounded by towers of piled stones, known as ‘apachetas’, this region is as intriguing as it is beautiful. It’s thought the statues were left behind as offerings to the Gods. Superstitious? Build your own mini statue – it will bring you good fortune!

Mirador de los Andes - Colca Canyon, Peru - Fabulous Travel Guide

Next stop on the tour is the provincial capital of Chivay (pictured below), where most travellers stay overnight. Eat at one of the traditional restaurants, soak in the hot springs and order super-strong Pisco sours!

One of the highlights of the trip is watching the Andean condors swoop into the valley at Cruz del Condor. With a wingspan of 3.2m, these birds attract crowds of tourists every day so get there early to get a good spot.